Peter Overton has broken his silence about his shock melanoma diagnosis, after first being diagnosed with the skin cancer disease in 2020.
The veteran news reporter, 58, revealed that after undergoing several operations to remove cancerous moles, he wished he had been more sun safe as a child.
‘I have had five melanoma operations. The most delicate was removed from my forehead. The remainder have been on my back and legs,’ Overton told this week’s New Idea magazine.
‘That’s in addition to countless moles being cut out. [As a child] It was almost a badge of honour to roast yourself red and peel off the skin in sheets.’
He added his biggest regret was not being more sun safe as a child because his body was now paying for his mistakes.
‘The memories are crystal clear, the damage real. I wish I had listened to my dad, a doctor, and my mum, a nurse, to apply sunscreen. My knowledge was limited to sunburn. I don’t even think melanoma was a part of the conversation,’ he said.
Peter Overton has broken his silence about his shock melanoma diagnosis, after first being diagnosed with the skin cancer in 2020. Pictured
Overton is now the ambassador for Melanoma Institute Australia and works at educating young Australians about the importance of sun safety.
‘Recently I saw a young, pale-skinned man roasting himself red. I was in shorts, and without hesitation showed him the train-track melanoma scar on my leg,’ he said.
‘I said that the scar was a result of lying in the sun, without sunscreen. I didn’t hesitate to tell him and show him. I hope he listened. We need to stop the glamourisation of tanning.’
Melanoma forms when the pigment-producing cells that give colour to people’s skin becomes cancerous.
While it is less common than basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), it is more dangerous because of its ability to spread to other organs more rapidly if it is not treated at an early stage.
In addition to the melanoma, Overton suffered another health scare last year and his wife Jessica Rowe recently shared a moving update on it.
The television star’s newsreader partner was recently forced off air to undergo surgery on his vocal chords after doctors discovered a polyp.
The podcaster, 54, told Stellar Magazine that the recovery process was difficult.
The veteran news reporter, 58, revealed that after undergoing several operations to remove cancerous moles, he wished he had been more sun safe as a child
In addition to the melanoma, Overton suffered another health scare last year and his wife Jessica Rowe recently shared a moving update on it
‘Petey, like me, loves to talk. He’s got a wonderful voice therapist helping him to make sure he’s using his voice properly and not putting too much stress on it,’ she said.
‘When you lose something that is so at the essence of who you are and what you do… oh my goodness,’ Jess continued.
‘But he’s back at work, and able to talk again. He doesn’t just have to clap his hands at me loudly’.
Overton previously said he was terrified by the ordeal because the surgery left him unable to talk for a week.
News of Overton’s shock health scare was broken by his wife Jessica.
Rowe shared a photo to Instagram of Peter hugging their pet dog and captioned it with some alarming words.
‘Peter doesn’t do Insta and he wanted me to share some news. He’s off work for a little longer at the moment,’ she wrote.
‘After an Ear Nose and Throat surgeon discovered a polyp on one of his vocal cords, which explains his very raspy voice over the holidays.’
She added Peter had already been in surgery and had to minimise his speaking as part of the recovery process, meaning he wouldn’t be able to return to work for some time.
‘He was operated on. Part of his recovery is no talking for now (a HUGE challenge for him!!). Hopefully he’ll be back to Nine News soonish,’ she explained.
Overton described the polyp as ‘like a big blister hanging off’ his vocal cords.
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